Dollop

Yesterday, I was cooking a cornbread pork pie. Aff helped me put cornbread on the pork filling.

Me: "Just put dollops of cornbread over the whole top of the casserole."

Aff: [putting on dollops]

Me: "Great! Keep putting dollops. You're doing great. You're such a good dolloper!"

Me: [in Ballmer voice] "Dollopers dollopers dollopers dollopers."

Exciting convo about taxes

I saw Ozzir yesterday at a friend's wedding. Ozzir is moving to Japan. He spent a while telling me about how he will be taxed.

Ozzir: They said I might be charged based on original cost basis instead of original fair market value! Can you believe it?

Me: So you would owe a lot more taxes if it were cost basis?

Ozzir: So much more! I told them if they try to charge that, my answer will not be 'No'. My reply will start with 'f'. 

Me: Is it 'Fair enough'?

Australia

Talking to brother.

Me: Aff and I visited Atlanta and Albuquerque so far this year, and are going to Sydney later. I like going to places with diversity -- I learn more from the experience.

Brother: There won't be much diversity in Sydney.

Me: That's true.

Brother: Except diversity of animals. Poisonous animals.

The apple of knowledge and customs

Today Aff told me about a woman flying from France to Denver. She was served an apple on her flight, and put it in her luggage to eat later. 

At customs, she was searched and received a $500 fine due to the apple.

I said that compared to all the other issues that happen during customs and immigration, this was quite minor. She has to sign a form that she is not bringing fruits, so she should have known.

I wonder how I will think about this situation in 5 years or 10 years. Will I think that even though there are larger immigration struggles, this small issue is still an injustice? 

A good speech on narcissism

I heard a great talk at SXSW about narcissism. The speaker commented on how society attributes moral virtue to successful people. A new friend who is perfectly coiffed and lives in a mansion is given more of the benefit of the doubt than an "average Joe".

She said: "I do the opposite. If someone pulls up in the latest Tesla and lives in a mansion, I am more on guard. I am more skeptical of them until I get to know them."

I liked the talk.

Trolls

It's amazing to see the lengths that some trolls will go to. There's a person who's addicted to checking my blog, and writing negative comments. This person (from the New Jersey area) will sometimes check my blog several times per day, and then write nasty comments. They've been doing this for years.

Shall I feel honored that they're obsessed enough to devote a big part of their mental energy to doing this?

Strange that they don't just pick a different hobby, especially after years.

Bay Area dilemma

I am frustrated by the Bay Area. The housing market is pricing out non-tech workers. Many people in tech lack empathy for these displaced residents. California state tax is so high and yet the city has rampant homelessness and crime, and poor public transit. Many of the influential figures in this area are actually sociopaths.

But I really love the actual day-to-day work in my field, and the Bay Area is the epicenter of the most interesting work.

I don’t have any solution. It just bothers me off and on continually.